‘I’ll see if I can find him then.’ Richard considered making small talk but the option went with the shutting of the front door. He paced across what would once have been a busy yard, bursting with life, the rough concrete covered in the debris that came with keeping a variety of farm animals. Now the main barn was converted into his son’s house and underfoot was pristine block paving in neat swirls with sharp borders. The ‘shed’ was also a barn conversion, although much smaller and with the original façade largely hidden behind layers of darkened weatherboard to match the house. It formed a double garage with a carport reaching out from the side. His son worked out of the office above it. When he had built it he had boasted how it would save him commuting into the City every day, but Richard knew it hadn’t quite panned out that way. His son worked in aviation insurance, an industry that seemed to be all about face-to-face meetings with clients, so all the addition of a home office had done was to extend Colin’s working day long into the evenings. When Richard had pointed this out it had turned into an argument. It was at a time when everything seemed to turn into an argument. Richard didn’t tend to point things out any more.

‘Colin!’ he called out through one of the raised double doors. He heard his son before he saw him. Something solid bumped down onto a wooden surface, scuffing the floor, then his face leaned round.

‘Oh, Dad. Hey.’

‘How are you?’ Richard said, his tone overcompensating for his son’s lack of enthusiasm.

‘Everything OK?’ Colin replied immediately then stepped fully into view. He was wiping his hands with a rag.

‘Fine! I can come and see you without there being something wrong, can’t I?’

‘You can. Of course you can. I would shake your hand, but’ – he lifted greasy palms – ‘just tinkering with the MG.’ He stepped back in for Richard to follow. Behind the garage doors the whole of the bottom was opened up as a large room with the stairs boxed in against the back wall. His classic car was up on a stand, wheels off. The bodywork could easily pass for something brand new in a showroom. This car was the only thing his son seemed to be passionate about these days.

‘Don’t worry,’ Richard said. ‘She’s looking nice.’

‘Yeah, she’s getting there. Should be as good as new when she’s done.’ Colin stopped to stare at it now, his eyes flashing with enthusiasm. Richard could tell he was in love. ‘Coffee?’ his son said, finally.

‘Sure.’

Colin made for the stairs rather than out and back to the house. Richard followed. The moment he got to the top step there was a flurry of noise and movement.